Anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines reduces willingness to socially distance
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
Anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines reduces willingness to socially distance. / Campos-Mercade, Pol; Andersson, Ola; Meier, Armando; Wengström, Erik.
In: Journal of Health Economics, Vol. 80, 102530, 12.2021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines reduces willingness to socially distance
AU - Campos-Mercade, Pol
AU - Andersson, Ola
AU - Meier, Armando
AU - Wengström, Erik
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - We investigate how the anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines affects voluntary social distancing. In a large-scale preregistered survey experiment with a representative sample, we study whetherproviding information about the safety, effectiveness, and availability of COVID-19 vaccines affects the willingness to comply with public health guidelines. We find that vaccine informationreduces peoples’ voluntary social distancing, adherence to hygiene guidelines, and their willingness to stay at home. Getting positive information on COVID-19 vaccines induces people tobelieve in a swifter return to normal life. The results indicate an important behavioral drawback of successful vaccine development: An increased focus on vaccines can lower compliance withpublic health guidelines and accelerate the spread of infectious disease. The results imply that, as vaccinations roll out and the end of a pandemic feels closer, policies aimed at increasing socialdistancing will be less effective, and stricter policies might be required.
AB - We investigate how the anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines affects voluntary social distancing. In a large-scale preregistered survey experiment with a representative sample, we study whetherproviding information about the safety, effectiveness, and availability of COVID-19 vaccines affects the willingness to comply with public health guidelines. We find that vaccine informationreduces peoples’ voluntary social distancing, adherence to hygiene guidelines, and their willingness to stay at home. Getting positive information on COVID-19 vaccines induces people tobelieve in a swifter return to normal life. The results indicate an important behavioral drawback of successful vaccine development: An increased focus on vaccines can lower compliance withpublic health guidelines and accelerate the spread of infectious disease. The results imply that, as vaccinations roll out and the end of a pandemic feels closer, policies aimed at increasing socialdistancing will be less effective, and stricter policies might be required.
KW - Faculty of Social Sciences
KW - vaccine information
KW - social distancing
KW - vaccination
KW - information
KW - economic epidemiology
KW - public health communication
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102530
DO - 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102530
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34563830
VL - 80
JO - Journal of Health Economics
JF - Journal of Health Economics
SN - 0167-6296
M1 - 102530
ER -
ID: 286435360